Mercedes-Benz C300 Cabriolet review
We have the perfect weather for convertibles, don’t we? When it is not raining, it is someone spitting paan out of a bus window. When the sun is beating down, it beats down with hammer force and let’s not forget the dust, the dirty air and the flying bird shit. All these things make sure that the chap who buys the C300 Cabriolet – it will be here towards the end of this year or early next year – will happily leave the roof up almost all the time. So why then would he buy one in the first place?
Well, the clean air and beautiful weather of Trieste, Italy is not the right place to answer this question but I hope some time behind the wheel of this car will shed some light.
Going topless
I’m not a huge fan of soft tops. Forget that the car loses some structural rigidity when you chop the roof off, I don’t like the way it looks. I think a Porsche 911 convertible looks fat-assed, the BMW 650i Cabriolet looks unfinished and the Mini Cooper ragtop is exactly that – A. Rag. Top.
I think it is the same with this car too – with the roof up, it looks a bit weird despite Mercedes over-engineering the top and without the muscular bulges that the C 63 AMG Cabriolet has, I think the C300 looks a bit dainty. You can change this in twenty seconds and at up to 50kmph by pressing a button on the centre console – fold that soft top away and in my eyes, the duckling becomes the swan. Now we’re talking.
Mercedes-Benz designed the new C-class saloon to run without a roof from the beginning. They say this forward thinking allowed them to easily adapt the bodyshell and floor to meet the rigidity needs of a convertible. Still, there is extra reinforcement in the floor, firewall, and the sidewalls of the transmission tunnel and all this adds about 125kg to the weight of the car. As for the roof itself, the Cabriolet comes with a triple layered soft top that is specially designed to keep noise (and the weather) out.
Extensive engineering has also been carried out to keep the wind out with the roof down. There’s an AIRCAP system that raises a spoiler at the top edge of the windscreen and a big screen that pops up behind the rear seats to create an invisible bubble of calm with the roof down. There’s the AIRSCARF system that blows warm air at your neck and this car has heated and cooled seats.
Going topless in public
We are getting the C300 Cabriolet in India and that means 1991cc in a four-cylinder turbo petrol, good for 241bhp and 370Nm of torque. It is a decent performer with good mid range shove and a rather quick 6.4sec 0-100kmph sprint. It has got a reasonably quick 9-speed torque converter gearbox and paddleshifts and, if you listen hard, you will hear a mildly sporty snarl from its exhaust.
Beautifully built cabin feels special.
Thing is, it feels adequately quick when you want it to feel mad quick. Then again, cars like this are for cruising aren’t they and here, the C300 Cabriolet does really well. It’ll easily maintain triple digit speeds and that soft top is so good at keeping outside noises out, you think you are doing half the speed. With the roof down, the AIRCAP system also keeps wind buffeting down to levels where you will arrive at your destination with your hair as you combed it.
It rides flat and it rides well. Okay, Italy’s roads are quite well surfaced but over the odd pothole and rumble strip we went over, the Cabriolet’s optional air-suspension proved quite able. How it will work on our roads is yet to be seen.
It handles quite well – and there’s good grip from the front end and a decently quick steering – but there’s also some float and bounce from the soft suspension. This tightens up as you move into the Sport+ driving mode.
Space, grace and bank balances
The Cabrio’s basic dimensions are exactly the same as the C-class saloon. It is the same length, width and wheelbase and that last bit is important. It means that there’s good legroom for rear seat passengers and in this sense, the Cabrio is a genuine 2+2. What rear passengers won’t like is the upright seat back. The folded roof squeezes in between the rear seat and the boot and that I think, has forced the near vertical seat back. Also, with the roof up, tall rear passengers might find their heads brushing the roof lining.
Triple-layered soft top is excellent at keeping noise and the elements out
Boot space is also quite limited – it stands at 360-litres with the roof up and 285-litres with it down and the boot opening is quite narrow as well. You will have to use your other car as luggage van for the family weekend getaway.
There is no denying the C-Cabrio’s build quality though – it feels every bit as classy as the saloon and I think in some bits it has improved too. I love the wood grain finish on the centre console in particular, and I like the silver accents all over the dashboard. It feels expensive.
Speaking of which, Mercedes-Benz isn’t talking prices yet but going by the A3 Cabrio’s Rs 46 lakh tag and the E400 Cabrio’s Rs 80 lakh tag, expect this one to cost somewhere around Rs 65-70 lakh which, truth be told, is not a bad way to get sunburnt at all.
In the end, the C300 Cabriolet does feel special and dare I say it, rather practical. Roof up or down, it is very refined, it is beautifully built and it drives well enough for what it is. It isn’t the cheapest Cabriolet around but it does have usable rear seats unlike the A3 and it does look better than the E400 Cabrio. Will the C Cabriolet work in India? I think it will because it works well with the roof up. And on days when you can stow away the roof, this car has the ability to teleport your mind to that sunny road on the Amalfi coast. Just remember to watch out for flying paan.
evo India rating
4/5
